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Congolese Rhumba star dead

 For years, Mandosa had been suffering from a mild stroke and had been receiving treatment in the United States where he lived [Courtesy]

Nene Mbendi Mandosa, a leading Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) guitarist and singer is dead.

The 1957 born Rhumba maestro whose music career begun during his teens when he started working with Bella Nigrita, then, a leading band, died on Friday after a long illness.

For years, Mandosa had been suffering from a mild stroke and had been receiving treatment in the United States where he lived.

Born in Bas Congo region in the town of Banana, DRC, Mandosa joined the popular Langa Langa Stars Rhumba group in 1981 as a guitarist before he got christened ‘Tchakou’, translated as ‘parrot’, a name that would finally become his stage name for his entire musical career. He also worked with Minzoto Wella Wella before joining Grand Zaiko Wawa under the leadership of Pepe Felix Manuaku Waku in 1983.

At this time, the Rhumba wave had ruled West Africa and had spread into East Africa and more, and a migration of DRC music bands moving to France was taking place. The demand for Rhumba in Paris at the time was sensational. Tchakou, by then a formidable guitarist, was part of this wave that saw some of the  biggest music bands of the time led by Soukous Stars work together both in performances and recording other projects. Apart from his contribution in popularising Rhumba in Paris, in the Soukous world Tchakou is remembered as a seasoned solo guitarist, having worked with all the top Soukous musicians of the 1990s.

In 1991, Tchakou was among celebrated Rhumba artistes who visited Nairobi for a major show that was led by veteran singer Kanda Bongoman.

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